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Lots has happened since my last post – my wrist has healed, I’ve been off galavanting in London and my Summer has officially begun! But I don’t want to leave any posts unfinished which is why I want to complete part 2 of my previous post ‘Sunday Girl Part 1’. Now I am at last physically able to tell of my attire and where all the pieces were sourced from I shall!

I bought the dress new, from Next, last Summer. Originally it was a light blue colour (giving the impression of being denim when it’s actually cotton) but I hadn’t had much wear out of it so back in April I decided to dye it dark blue, and since then I’ve worn it so much more! The scarf in my hair was handed down to me by my Mum (so I suppose it’s vintage!) and the blue socks you can barely see were £3 from Topshop – one of I think three purchases I have ever made from that shop, to see why read my first ever blog post.

The beautifully crafted bag made from re-worked leather was a present and can be seen in more detail in my post from February entitled The Beauty Of Leather, in which the silk scarf tied around it also features. The blue shoes (which are suede – well spotted Roz!) were one of my best ever buys and I found them nestling in a corner in the Clark’s January sale. They were marked down from £60 to £15 and being real suede on the outside and real leather on the inside I just couldn’t resist! In fact, I love them so much that they were featured in their very own post, Blue Suede Shoes, in March.

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I’ve heard and read many times that you should judge a man by the shoes he wears. That doesn’t actually have anything whatsoever to do with this post but it seemed to be a good opening sentence. What this post is really about is how a pair of shoes can have the ability to either make or break an outfit. This is a problem that I have quite often as I am not a person who has a whole rack full of shoes in every colour shape and style imaginable. I have size eight feet which is often a problem when shoe shopping as there aren’t many retailers who actually stock size eight plus shoes and those who do often only sell a limited range. This being the case I like to buy shoes which I know will last a while and be versatile.

For example, I don’t know what I would have done without my Fly London boots this year as I have worn them to death! Being black they go with just about any outfit and as they are patent and have a rubber wedge they are versatile enough to work with a smart-ish dress or just casually with a skirt or trousers. The £45 I paid for them was perhaps the most well spent money in the history of my wardrobe and they have been a staple item ever since I bought them over a year ago.

This is all very well, but so far there has been no reference to the title of this post you may think. Well, in the last week of January I went for a mooch in what was left of the sales and found myself in Clarks trying on a rather delectable pair of blue suede wedges. They were marked down from £60 to £15, were real leather on the inside, were exceptionally comfortable, fitted me perfectly and I could actually walk in them. Sold!

Extreme Editing! I just love the vividness of the blue when the colour is so saturated.

Note: the blue socks I’m wearing with the shoes were £3 from Topshop and are one of the three Topshop items I own (the other two being pyjamas and a blue knit dress). I generally don’t tend to buy things from Topshop as I have some issues with their sizing and pricing (have a read of this post for a proper explanation) but for £3 I thought that the socks would look pretty with mary janes, and indeed these blue wedges.

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That’s right, I’m talking about gladiator sandals – undoubtedly the most popular choice of footwear for summer, and so they have been for the past few years. It is the Romans we have to thank for this footwear craze; despite the attempt by however many labels to claim the idea as their own. As any female will tell you, these sandals are a life-saver for a woman with a shoe crisis. Suitable for almost any occasion, comfortable, flat and good to look at – these shoes tick practically every box. Walk into any women’s clothing store, and right at the back you will spy rows upon rows of gladiator sandals in every different colour imaginable! The great thing about gladiator sandals is that often it is impossible to differentiate between an expensive pair from say, Kurt Geiger, or a pretty, cheap-and-cheerful pair from Primark.

I do have one issue with gladiator sandals however. It is not so much an issue with the actual sandals as opposed to an issue with the way they are worn. Please let’s get this straight: gladiator sandals may be suitable for almost any occasion, but this does not mean that they can be worn with everything. In only the past week I have seen some truly terrible pairings of gladiator sandals with women’s work-wear. I know, weird isn’t it? Imagine a woman dressed in a skirt, jacket and shirt and you just expect her to be wearing a complementary pair of heels don’t you? Not this summer, oh no. I find it very hard to comprehend why these women are happy to spend a full day looking ridiculous; it’s on the same scale as wearing trainers with the same outfit, don’t you agree? I would advise any women wanting to give their work-wear a lighter, more summery feel to invest in a pair of heels or peep-toe wedges in a neutral colour. Gladiator sandals are great for the weekend, but not so much for the city 9-5.

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Alexandra Thérèse

A student, blogger and future journalist with a love of fashion, reading and performing arts, I am determined to spend every day with pen and paper in hand. Alexandra Thérèse showcases original writing and photography, the former being an evolving spectacle of thoughts, opinions and persuasions and the latter a newly undertaken adventure.
Writing on politics, current affairs, culture, feminism, education and literature I am currently hoping to read English Literature at University.